How to Contour your Nose the Right Way?

Thanks to the Kardashians, everyone has now become familiar with the age old concept of contouring. However, people often copy beauty gurus without considering their individual features. The nose suffers the most in this regard. From news anchors to makeup enthusiasts on Instagram, there are plenty of bad examples of nose contouring. It can be instantly spotted because it looks completely unnatural and they all appear to be clones.

I will be offering some simple advice to help you understand the purpose of nose contouring and how you may apply this technique to yourself.

Watch Tutorial on AimzFolio’s Channel Instead:

Picking the correct shade

It must be matte

It should not look warm against your skin

It should match your natural face shadow

For me the perfect shade happens to be Essence mono eye shadow in Hazel Me Not! (Read review). It’s a pale milky cool brown in matte finish that fits my fair to medium neutral toned skin. If you are having a hard time finding a suitable shade, I suggest you go swatch the Inglot Freedom System HD Sculpting powders. For reference, my shade in that range is 508.

The point of nose contouring

The natural shape of your nose is perfectly balanced with the rest of your features so there really is no need to touch it. It is a completely optional step. As beauty ideals have long since ruled the minds of the general public, a slim pointed nose is considered beautiful by most. So, strategically shading the sides of your nose with a colour that mimics shadow makes it look slimmer. To add to the illusion of a more 3D nose, the bridge of the nose is highlighted. Highlighting may be done with something shiny or a matte shade slightly lighter than your own skin.

What to remember

Your nose could be uneven in some areas for instance; the top of my bridge is a bit crooked so you must leave that portion out.

2. You only need to contour the part of your nose that looks broader. For example, a nose that is broader at the bottom should only be slimmed down in that area.

3. If you merely have a thick bridge then only contour along your bridge and leave the rest as it is.

4. If you have a long nose and wish to make it shorter, place the contour shade just below the tip in the space between your nostrils, where you can see a natural shadow.

5. Never highlight any portion of your nose that is already protruding. For example, my nose is quite pointed so I don’t bring the highlight all the way down to the tip.

6. Make sure to blend the contour upwards into your bridge not downwards otherwise the point of this exercise will be lost.

7. Always start with very little product because you can always build it up if you need more later on.

8. It is better to use a small blending brush that offers greater control and blends away product while it applies avoiding streaks. Other options include MAC 217 and similar small affordable ones from the BH Sculpt and Blend brush set.

There are different types of noses so each must be handled differently. I cannot give you a tutorial on my own nose because it is already long, thin and pointed. I don’t need to contour it. I place a highlighter with sheen along the bridge of my nose avoiding the crooked part and the tip to blend it in with the rest of my facial highlight.

Now that you have understood the basics and wish to learn more about specific nose shapes, you might want to check out Wayne Goss’s recent video on nose contouring here.

How do feel about nose contouring and go about contouring your own nose?